Author's posts

How to “find” extra money to prep with

Many of us wish we had more money to dedicate to our prepping strategy. How awesome would it be to ask your boss for a 20% raise, citing “prep needs” as the reason. Alas it is never that easy, money doesn’t grow on trees and we can’t pay for everything with leaves. Yet finding more …

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.22 Caliber Mini-Sentry Trip Wire Alarm

**Note from PJ (06/01/13):  I’ve had emails about the video and website for this product being removed, I’m not sure what has happened or if these are even being sold anymore.  I don’t know the contributor personally so I won’t be able to tell anyone where or when they might become available once again. Many …

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5 reasons why motorcycles will be the vehicle of choice when T-SHTF

If you already have a motorcycle you have probably already considered the value of having two wheeled transportation if T-SHTF.  Motorcycles have many advantages over cars and those will be amplified many times over when times get tough and the rules go out the window.  If you do not have a motorcycle or license the …

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Survival Clothing Tips

By Nightgear Survival Clothing While it’s not the most important thing on the list, being prepared also means being able to keep warm and dry, which is why clothing must be given some thought. That’s fine, you say, I’m always wearing something sensible. But think about your wife or your kids, especially if they’re older. …

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Outdoor surveillance with condenser microphones

by Lux Condenser Microphones typically sound better than dynamic microphones. If you are unfamiliar with these two types of microphones you may want to read about them in this Wikipedia article. The short version is this: Dynamic microphones have a coil and a magnet. So they act like little electric generators. They do not require …

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Ham Radio, The Only Form of Communication After T-SHTF

By JM We take communication for granted because if we want to talk to someone we have multiple ways of contacting them:  home phones, cell phones, email, and instant messaging.  We are used to instant gratification by calling or texting and pretty much getting an immediate response from virtually everyone on our contact list.  But …

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Hardtack: step by step instructions

Hardtack:  The survival food cleverly disguised as a brick, wheel chock, or overly thick bathroom tile.  Whenever I think of hardtack images come to mind of a sailor gnawing away on a piece 500 years ago in the middle of the ocean, or more recently a Civil War era Infantryman chewing on a piece while …

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Burying the Box, SHTF Shipping Container Tips

By JD at Cherokee West As a child my first concept of prepping was a basement in a large log cabin sort of house in which lived some friends of our family. The stairs in the house were wooden and unfinished, the type you might see on an outdoor deck or patio. I could see …

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Kinetic Energy, Sectional Density and Killing Power

I remember watching an episode of Doomsday Preppers, the one where a guy almost destroys the hearing of another prepper by firing next to his head.  I still remember one of his quotes from the episode: “Bigger is always better!”  Bigger magazines, bigger guns capable of firing larger projectiles.  If it left a bigger hole …

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The best $4.50 you ever spent on survival gear

Behold the Multi-Purpose Triangle Bandage, otherwise known as the cravat.  This versatile piece of cloth has been around for as long as I can remember and probably decades before that.  It is well recognized as an essential part of any survival kit and since the price point is relatively low it makes sense to own …

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5 scenarios your family should train for

Many of us realize that the key to a good bugout is all of the preparation which is done prior to the actual event taking place.  Pre-positioning all of the bugout gear, talking through various scenarios, conducting rehearsals with family members which results in being able to efficiently evacuate a home in mere minutes with …

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Prepping with the Rule of 5’s

By Ditch Doctor Don’t be discouraged when starting to prep since prepping can be overwhelming, confusing, and expensive.  I started prepping using the “Rule of 5’s”.  Here’s the list I started with and then expanded it when I reached my goals.  Get your family involved but remember to have the quantity end with five.  This …

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Gear Review: Gerber LMF II Infantry Knife

By JM I know, I know, everyone has the perfect survival knife.  But if you are in the market for a new survival knife or if you just want a new knife take a look at what the Gerber LMF II has to offer.  Before I purchased the Gerber LMF I did a lot of …

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The Benefit of Army Surplus Gear

By RV Ops The use of good quality gear and clothing is important to anyone involved in prepping as well as the outdoors life in general, and unreliable gear may well be worse than useless-a multitool that breaks, for example, or a an inadequately sealed water container may well result in fatal consequences if the …

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Compass basics, tips for newbies.

It’s very easy to get lost while in the woods, or for that matter just about anywhere.  I have been lost many times and am not ashamed to admit it.  Getting lost is the easy part and can be accomplished through complacency, overconfidence or just poor dumb luck.  There have been times where I was …

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